This invention relates to a sports practice glove for use with a club, racket, bat or other item of sports equipment having a handle to be gripped.
It is well known that, in golf and tennis in particular, good results are achieved by maintaining a firm grip on the handle of the racket or club before, during and after a shot or stroke is made. The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a construction of sports glove for practice use which will automatically indicate to the user by an audible alarm if the grip on the handle slackens while making a shot or stroke.
Accordingly, the invention provides a sports practice glove for use with a club, racket, bat or other item of sports equipment having a handle to be gripped, the glove comprising a plurality of independently operable pressure-operated switches arranged on its inside gripping surface and an alarm circuit coupled to the switches in such manner that the alarm is actuated when the pressure on any one or more of the switches is reduced below the switching threshold pressure of the switch, the switches being disposed at locations on the glove which will bear against the handle of the sports equipment when the latter is properly gripped. Preferably the alarm is an audible alarm.
Naturally the number and exact disposition of the switches on the inside gripping surface of the glove will vary both with the glove size and the particular item of sports equipment for which the glove is designed. However, most applications will involve at least one switch on the inside of each finger and thumb of the glove, and at least one switch one the palm area.
The alarm circuit preferably includes an on-off switch to disable the alarm when the glove is not being worn or when it is not desired to monitor the grip on the handle while playing.